The Diocese of New Ulm filed for reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code March 3 in response to 101 lawsuits related to clergy sexual abuse claims made against it. The lawsuits were filed during the Minnesota Child Victims Act’s three-year lifting of the statute of limitations that ended May 25, 2015.

In a statement, Bishop John LeVoir said that “reorganization is the fairest way to resolve sexual abuse claims while allowing the Church to continue its essential work of serving people in our local communities” and reiterated his “deepest apologies on behalf of the Diocese of New Ulm to victims and survivors of clergy sexual abuse as minors.”

“Victims and survivors have shown incredible courage by stepping forward to help prevent such a tragedy from ever happening again. Victims and survivors must be treated with dignity and just compensation is owed them, as well as our daily prayers. These are integral to the healing process,” he said.

Bishop LeVoir was a priest of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis prior to his episcopal appointment to New Ulm.

New Ulm is the third diocese in Minnesota to enter bankruptcy due to sexual abuse claims, following the archdiocese and Diocese of Duluth. The Diocese of New Ulm serves 55,000 Catholics in 15 counties in southwest Minnesota.